Coin-controlled apparatus.



J. MASON.

COIN CONTRDLLED APPARATUS.

(Application flled Nov. 14, 1899.) (No Model.)

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No. 641,213. Patenfed lan. 9, |900. J. MASON.

COIN GONTRULLED APPARATUS.

(-Application led. Nov. 14, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet z.

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` Patented lan. 9, |9007` COIN CONTRDLLED APPARATUS` (Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEYS llnrrnn Sterns 'Armar trios.

JOSEPH MASON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MUTOSCOPEAND BIOGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere Patent Ive. 641,213, dated January e, 190e. Application filed November 14,1899. Serial No. 786,919. (No model.)

To LtZZ wwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,"l clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to coin controlled mechanism, and is particularly intended for controlling the operation of that class of moving picture apparatus known as mutoscopes and covered by the United States Patent to Herman Casier, No. 549,309, dated November 5, 1895, though itis also adapted for controlling the operation of other types of apparatus.

My invention consists in the use, in connection with a coin-driving member adapted to impart a rolling motion to a coin, of a con-` cavely-curved coin-actuated member forming with the said driving member a tapering coinway and adapted to be displaced by the coin as the latter moves along said coinway.

My invention also consists in the novel means employed for detecting thin disks of tin and the like, in the means employed for detecting lead blanks and the like, and in many details of combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts.

The objects of my invention are to improve and simplify coin-controlled mechanism, to detect thin disks, lead blanks, and the like which may be placed in the apparatus instead of coins of proper denomination, and to make the mechanism compact, simple, composed of few parts, and comparatively inexpensive in construction. These objects are attained in the invention herein described, in which the same reference-numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in Which- Figure lis a side view of a mutoscope with the front of the inclosing case open, showing my improved coin-controlled mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the coin-controlled mechanism, the section being taken through the driving-spindle. Fig. 3 is a top view of the coin-operated mechanism, and Fig. Il is a central vertical section taken through the center of the coin-receiving recess.

In the drawings, l is the driving-shaft of the mutoscope and is provided with a crank2. 5 5

3 is a vertical spindle forming part ofI the coin-controlled mechanism and driven from, shaft l by a bevel-gear 4t and bevel-pinion 5.

In the end of the casing of the mutoseope there is a recess 6 for the reception of a coin, and in the bottom of this recess there is an aperture 7, through which a coin of proper denomination which has been placed upon the ioor of the recess and pushed backward may drop. Such a coin falls upon a beveled lip 8, forming a continuation of a beveled rib 9, projecting from a curved guide l0, forming a portion of the framevof the mechanism.

Upon the spindle 3 is mounted a grooved disk 11, the lower iiange l2 of which is of greater diameter than the upper flange and projects beneath the opening 7, so that a coin of proper denomination which drops through said opening rests upon said ange l2 as Well as upon the lip 8 and rib 9. The ,upper surface of the flange l2 is knurled. When a coin is in place on the flange and the disk is turned, a rolling motion is communicated to the coin, Which moves through the curved coinway formed by the disk Il and guide 10, being supported by the flange 12 and rib 9.

13 is a movable coin actuated member curved and forming a continuation of the guide 10. It is provided With a rib 14, forming a continuation of the rib 9; but in position the member 13 is normally eccentric with respect to the disk 1l, and therefore forms withV said disk a tapering coinway which is a continuation of the coinway formed by the disk 11 and guide 10.

The member 13 is arranged to slide laterally, being supported by the casting of which the guide l0 forms a part. At its left-hand end, as seen in Fig. l, the member 13 works in and is guided by a slot 15 in the said casting. At its right-hand end the member 13 is provided with a slot 16, within which is a stationary guide-stud 17. A curved plate 18, above the guide l0 and secured thereto, holds the end of the member 13 in place. In this plate 18 is a gage-opening directly beneath the coin-opening 7, and the diameter of Which is just sufficient to permit the passage of a coin of proper denomination, While excluding coins of greater diameter. l

. The coin-actuated member 13 is provided with a tailpiece 19, by which a tripper ,25 or other suitable part ofa mechanism controlled by .this coin-controlled mechanism may be operated. A spring 20 tends to hold the member 13 in the position shown in the drawings.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows: A coin placed within the recess 6 drops through the orifice 7 and, if not of too great diameter, through the gage-opening of the plate 18 and rests upon the lip 8, rib 9, and fiange 12 of the disk 11. If the coin be very much too small, it may not rest upon these parts, but may drop through the space between them and be deflected off by a deflector 21. If the coin be of very nearly the proper size and yet too small, it will drop as soon as the disk 11 begins to move it. If the coin be of proper size, however, and the shaft 1, spindle 3, and disk 11 be rotated, it will be caused to roll through the coinway, resting upon the flange 12 of the disk and the ribs 9 and 14. As the coin enters the contracted portion of the coinway it pushes the member 13 to the left of Fig. 3, thus enlarging the coinway and in so doing causing the tailpiece 19 to actuate its coacting member 25 of the mechanism controlled by the coin-actuated mechanism. This tailpiece is cut away, so as to enlarge the coinway, and when the coin reaches the tailpiece it drops into a chute 22, by which it is carried to a suitable receptacle. The spring 2O then causes the return of the member 13.

The coin-d riving disk 11 is provided with a deep slot 23 between its fianges, and a disk of thin sheet metal, such as tin, which may be of the same diameter as the coins by which it is intended that the mechanism shall be operated will enter this slot and so fail to project out far enough to cause the tailpiece 19 to actuate the mechanism controlled by the coin-controlled apparatus. The member 13 and its rib 14 are provided with teeth or serrations, which cut into a lead blank deposited in the machine. The bottoms of the grooves between the teeth of the rib 14 are cut away, and therefore a lead blank into which the teeth have cut will drop out of the coinway before the member 13 has been displaced so :far as to cause the operation of the mechanism controlled by the coin-controlled mechanism. The motion first communicated to the member 13 by a coin moving through the coinway is in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of motion of the tripper 25 and it is not until the coin has reached the end of the serrations in said member 13 that the latter begins to move in the direction of motion of the tripper25 and therefore begins to operate the tripper. It will be seen, therefore, that before a coin can cause the release of the device controlled by this coin-controlled -apparatus said coin will have been tested as to its diameter, thickness, and the material of which it is composed.

The curved form of the coinway prevents the operation of the apparatus by a rod or wire inserted through the coin-slot.

The rib 9 and beveled lip S prevent the withdrawal, by means of a cord, of a coin which has once entered the coinway and passed therethrough. Such a coin, if drawn backward by a cord or spring, will be beneath the rib 9, and therefore, although it may be drawn toward the admission-opening edgewise, it cannot be lifted high enough to permit it to turn over and rest upon the rib 9. The distance between any point on the edge of the lip 8 and the most distant point on the edge of the orifice in the plate 18 is less than the diameter of any coin which will cause the operation of the apparatus. Hence it is impossible to draw up through the orifice a coin which is below the lip 3 and rib 9.

The mutoscope, to which myimproved coincontrolled mechanism is shown as applied, consists of a rotatable reel 26, carrying a series of resilient picturecards and arranged to be rotated by means of the shaft 1 when av coin of proper denomination has been deposited in the apparatus, and a detent 27, which engages the edges of the cards successively, holding them back and then permitting them to spring rapidly across the field of View. A shaft 28 is connected to shaft 1 bya ball-and-socket joint and carries a worm 29, adapted to mesh with a worm-wheel 30, carrying the sleeve 31, over which the reel 26 fits. Normally the worm is out of gear with its worm-wheel, but is brought up into mesh therewith when the tripping-rod 32, to which the tripper 25 above mentioned is connected, has been moved to the left by the operation of the coin-controlled mechanism. The mechanism illustrated for bringing the worm up into mesh with its worm-wheel and for throw ing it down out of mesh again when a revolution of the reel has been completed. is the invention of another and does not require de scription here.

Having thus completely described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to sccureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-controlled mechanism the combination, with a movable driving member and a concaVely-curved coin-guide, said driving member being adapted to impart to a coin a rolling motion along said guide, of means operated by the movement of the coin for controlling the operation of other apparatus.

2. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination of a driving member anda movable concavely-curved coin-actuated member together forming a tapering coinway, said driving member being arranged to impart a rolling motion to a coin, and the coin-actuated member being adapted to be displaced by a coin moving along the coinway.

3. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination, with a rotatable disk, and means for IOO IIO

@mais driving the same, of a concavely-curved guide member forming with said disk a tapering coinway, and adapted to be displaced by a coin rolled through said coinway.

4L. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the com bination, with a rotatable disk grooved to 'receive the edge of acoin, and having one tiange of greater diameter than the other, of a curved guide member having a guide-rib, adapted with said disk to support a coin, said curved guide member forming with the disk a tapering coinway, and being adapted to be displaced by a coin moving through said coinway.

5. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination, with a rotatable disk and a concavely-curved guide member together forming a coinway, said disk being provided with a liange and the guide member being provided with a corresponding rib for supporting a coin, and the disk being adapted to coinmunicate a rolling motion to a coin, of means operated by the movement of the coin for controlling the operation of other apparatus.

6. In a coincon trolled mechanism, the combination, with a rotatable disk and a concavely-curved guide member together forming a coinway, said disk being provided with a flange and the guide member being provided with a corresponding rib for supporting a coin, and the disk being adapted to communicate a rolling motion to a coin, of means operated by the movement ofthe coin for controlling the operation of other apparatus, and a chute below the coinway for receiving coins which fall between the disk and the guide.

7. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination, with a driving member, of a movable coin-actuated member forming therewith a coinway, said driving member heilig adapted to impart a rolling motion to a coin, and said coin-actuated member being arranged to be displaced by a coin moving along the coinway, and being provided with teeth by which objects of soft metal may be detected.

S. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination, with a rotatable disk grooved to receive the edge of a coin, and having at the base of said groove a slot adapted to receive the edge of a disk of thin metal, of a concavelycurved guide member forming with the disk a tapering coinway, and adapted to be displaced by a coin of proper denomination moving through said coinway, but not to be displaced to an extent sufficient to cause the operation of mechanism controlled by the coincontrolled mechanism, when a disk of thin metal has entered the groove in said disk.

9. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the come bination, with a rotatable disk and a curved guide member together forming a coinway, and means for controlling the operation of suitable mechanism, operated by a coin when rolling along said coinway, of means for preventing the withdrawal of a coin from said coinway by a cord or equivalent device.

lO. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination, with a rotatable disk, of a guide member forming with said disk a coinway, said guide member being formed in two sections, one of which is movable in two directions, and means for returning such movable section to its normal position.

l1. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the

combination, with a rotatable disk, of a guide member forming with said disk a coinway, said guide member being formed in two sections, one of which is movable in two directions, and is arranged to be moved lirst in one direction and then in the other by a coin passing through the coinway, and means for returning such movable section to its normal position. 12. In a coin-controlled mechanism, the combination, with a rotatable disk, of a concavely-curved guide member Vforming with said disk a coinway, said guide member being formed in two sections, one of which is movable both about an axis and radially on it, and is arranged to be so moved by a coin pass* ing through the coinway, and means for returning such movable section to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ax my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MASON.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS W. FR'reoUT, H. D. JAMESON. 

